Some Common Facts About Colds

What Is A Cold?

A cold is often caused by rhinoviruses, this virus name comes from the Greek word Rhin, which means nose. These rhinoviruses are invisible germs that live in the air or on surfaces and basically any of the things you touch. There are more than 100 different rhinoviruses that can slip through your immune system and cause a cold.

How Do You Catch Colds?

Rhinoviruses can live on surfaces or in the air for more than 3 hours. If you wipe or touch your nose or mouth after touching something or someone that is contaminated, you are more likely to catch a cold. Dry air can lower your resistance to colds. So can stress, allergies, not getting enough sleep, and not eating right. People that smoke or people that live with anyone that smokes, have more chance of catching a cold than people that don't smoke. A smoker's cold usually lasts longer, is much worse, and can turn into bronchitis or pneumonia.

Spreading Colds:

People with colds can spread it to other people, if they sneeze, cough, or don't wash their hands. So if you go around people at work, school, etc. you can spread your cold to them. Cold symptoms will normally occur 2 to 3 days when someone gets exposed to it. Someone with a cold is most contagious during the first 3 to 4 days when the cold symptoms have occurred, and can be contagious up to 3 weeks. Most colds clear up after a week.